The EU’s goal to supply Ukraine with 1m rounds of ammunition will not be reached, the German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, has said as member states meet in Brussels to discuss how to increase supplies.
“It is safe to assume that the 1m rounds will not be reached,” he told reporters arriving at the summit of defence ministers.
The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the target involved stockpiles and new production but one of the issues was “40% of the production is being exported” outside the bloc.
He said ministers would be scrutinising how to boost supply to Ukraine, with one option to work on how to shift production earmarked for export back to Ukraine.
Sigh.
The Ukrainian government has awarded Rheinmetall a contract for Leopard 1 systems, including 25 main battle tanks Leopard 1A5, five armoured recovery vehicles (Bergepanzer 2) and two driver training tanks. The order, financed by Germany and worth a figure in the upper-two-digit million-euro range, also includes training, logistics, spare parts, maintenance and other support services.
Delivery is due to take place in 2024. The Leopard 1 systems are currently being overhauled and readied for use at Rheinmetall’s plants in Unterlüß and Kassel.
Rheinmetall supplies Ukraine with Leopard 1 systems | Rheinmetall
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